How big was the crowd in D.C. today?
posted at 8:31 pm on September 12, 2009 by Allahpundit
Anyone have any official/nonpartisan estimates? I’ve seen numbers ranging from 50,000 on the low end (from David Shuster, natch) up to “a healthy six figures” from Reason’s Matt Welch on up to the two million figure cited by the boss earlier this morning, which ABC insists it never reported. As of a few hours ago, D.C. police were refusing to make any estimates but ABC got some unspecified city officials on the record claiming there 60,000 to 75,000 people there. Any other numbers floating around? E-mail me if so. I think using protest size as a gauge of popular sentiment is stupid — witness the huge turnouts against the war in early 2003 when public support was in the neighborhood of 65 percent — but it’s a fun talking point, so let’s have fun.
Two videos of the crowd for you to peruse. One is a time-lapse from a traffic cam of people gathering this morning, the other is of MSNBC anchor Alex Witt marveling at the scale of the rally. Believe it or not, there were lefties speculating on Twitter today that the photo Michelle posted this morning was bogus because the flag in the foreground appears to be at half-mast; it must have been a photo of a lefty protest from years ago, the theory went, for surely the right couldn’t muster a throng of that size. Compare it to the videos, though, and you’ll see that the shot’s obviously from today. Alas, 9/12 Truth, we hardly knew ye!
Update: However big it was, it was bigger than expected. From the NYT: “Many came on their own and were not part of an organization or group. But the magnitude of the rally took the authorities by surprise, with throngs of people streaming from the White House to Capitol Hill for more than three hours.”
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GLENN BECK
I_C on September 12, 2009 at 8:33 PM
There’s plenty of aerial photos – I’m sure some good analyst can count the peeps – or get a pretty close count.
CIA will know – I’ll guarantee that.
I’m more concerned at why the Capitol Cam was turned off.
HondaV65 on September 12, 2009 at 8:35 PM
OVER 9000
But seriously, that time-lapse video shows at least 100,000 in a single frame, and several times that number march past. I’d say 400,000 easily from that camera alone.
Evil Pundit on September 12, 2009 at 8:35 PM
You mean the protests that the Baltimore Sun,the Philadelphia Inquirer<the Harrisburg patriot News,the York Daily Record,etc etc (just in my area) had classified ads for weeks hiring “activists” and “advocates” for months beforehand?
theTarCzar on September 12, 2009 at 8:36 PM
What were the turnouts for the war protests?
Spirit of 1776 on September 12, 2009 at 8:37 PM
For the flag half-mast thing, the only thing I can think of is it was half-mast this morning, a left over from yesterday (9/11) when all flowers were at half-mast, and whomever owns the building didn’t put it up until later that day.
There are DU threads where they’re watching the traffic came early in the day and a DU commenting that the flag at half-mast must piss off the conservatives passing under it.
Enoxo on September 12, 2009 at 8:37 PM
I copied the headline in case it changed and included the link
Up to two million march to US Capitol to protest against Obama’s spending in ‘tea-party’ demonstrationBy Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 9:39 PM on 12th September 2009
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html
JackofNoTrades on September 12, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Hey… honestly I don’t care what the numbers are. All I can say is there must have been somewhat of a success if lefty blogs are now struggling to decide weather they should attack the racists, fringe elements, anarchists, or the facist-labelers…
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:39 PM
I’m gonna go with Obama’s favorite number….uhhhhh 900 billion!…. yeah 900 BILLION
ted c on September 12, 2009 at 8:39 PM
Does Cindy Sheehan count as one or two people? If two, that must mean Chavez is like deci-polar.
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:39 PM
Using Obamath, two people showed up. Yes, two.
ignorantapathy on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Don’t matter what the physical number is. You gotta know that Soros, ANSWER, MoveOn, Acorn, and Rham are getting nervous. All those folks turned out on their own dime.
No Union-sponsored bus trips, free box lunches, custom printed signs, etc.
Like the Gathering of Eagles rallies, this is all homegrown. Might have some pros helping get the word out, etc, but it’s all folks paying their own way, on their own time, using vacation days, etc.
You get this many showing up on their own dime, their own time, and you know that there are 10-20 at home for each one that shows u, and that’s a pretty darned good opposition for the “lightworker’s” big-government plan(s).
I have to say that I am impressed, and a much happier camper today.
AW1 Tim on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 to 47 million give or take a million Haitians.
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
I counted 500 Million…
Seven Percent Solution on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
According to Right Wing Nut house:
Enoxo on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Freeedom Works and Grassfire organizers requested the throng assembled today in DC to text to a set number for a headcount. I am sure these numbers will be represented very shortly on either web site.
sonnyspats1 on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
I haven’t been able to find an official number either. But judging from the aerial views etc. I’d say high six figures minimum. Griff Jenkins pointed out that it is one mile from the Capital building to the Washington Monument and it was nearly shoulder to shoulder at that point, TXSkirt reported that the park police limited entry to the mall at 1.2 million patriots.
Any way you cut it, it was an enormous crowd. The beltway critters should be afraid, very afraid. A sleeping giant has been awakened and the 2010 mid-term is closing in fast.
Zorro on September 12, 2009 at 8:40 PM
NBC Nightly News led with this story tonight. They said Park Service was estimating “tens of thousands”, but NBC people were estimating it at “hundreds of thousands”.
JohnGalt23 on September 12, 2009 at 8:41 PM
If Obama can claim to have created or saved a million jobs, surely we can say there were more than a million people at the protest.
BardMan on September 12, 2009 at 8:42 PM
If you look at the image that floating around, it looks very much like there is a fellow there who is putting the flag all the way up, or taking it down. It’s a single frame, so sans extensions, no one can tell.
AW1 Tim on September 12, 2009 at 8:42 PM
LULZ
Rusty Shackleford on September 12, 2009 at 8:42 PM
Shocking! Those angry racist white people didn’t shoot anyone with their guns. /(sarc)
Disturb the Universe on September 12, 2009 at 8:42 PM
I think it all depends on what model we are going to use to count the crowd with. If we use the million man march model I’d put it somewhere around the 15 million mark.
clement on September 12, 2009 at 8:42 PM
The half-staff stuff may have been for Kennedy.
Zorro on September 12, 2009 at 8:43 PM
How many?
Thats easy. The 17 million “uninsured Americans” CrockObama dropped off his tally of 47 million “uninsured Americans”.
Or….none. They were all mobs, hoodlums, vandals, instigators and facists.
The city police force estimated earlier today at 1.2 million…until CrockObama had they reestimate.
dthorny on September 12, 2009 at 8:43 PM
I noticed earlier when I looked at the cam that it was still at half mast, and the plaza was empty – it was about 1230 or so. Looked at it again later and the flag was all the way up, which made me wonder since half-staffing is for a period of days and is not raised in the middle of a day.
I thought it might have been something about Ted Kennedy (senators do get a specified amount of time at half staff), but hie got 5 days and that was over with a while ago.
The 9/11 leftover and “oops” raising makes much more sense. I’ll bet someone there in the building saw it on the cam and ran out to raise it.
JeffWeimer on September 12, 2009 at 8:44 PM
People came from all 57 states!
terryannonline on September 12, 2009 at 8:44 PM
The “tens of thousands” the MSM is using as a meme is because only 30,000 were registered for the event through FreedomWorks.
I’ve a feeling a healthy majority of people don’t even know what FreedomWorks is, nor registered with them.
Enoxo on September 12, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Kennedy’s ended on the 30th of August. Flags were lowered yesterday for 9/11.
Enoxo on September 12, 2009 at 8:45 PM
I’ve read accounts claiming from 60,000 to over 2 million. So, there seems to be a serious math problem here somewhere.
Loxodonta on September 12, 2009 at 8:45 PM
On some of the MillBlogs, there’s a slew of leftist trolls claiming that the images were photoshopped and the flag at half-mast is proof of it. Typical numbnutz reasoning, but they are trying to get the meme out that the images can’t be trusted and it’s all a big right-wing lie.
Sigh…
A lot of folks on the left are suddenly acting like they are very afraid. GOOD!
AW1 Tim on September 12, 2009 at 8:46 PM
Freepers and TPM are both citing the DC Fire Dept. unoficial estimate of 60,000-70,000.
okonkolo on September 12, 2009 at 8:46 PM
So, when’s that going to be AWC Tim?
FCCS Jeff
JeffWeimer on September 12, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Somewhere David Axelrod is sitting and pouting about his inability to astroturf like that. Hell, he actually has to HIRE people and PAY them to show up. Obviously all those people in DC must be STUPID to work for nothing.
Hey Barry! You, Reid and Pelosi pass that POS health care legislation; you’re going to see an even BIGGER party on your front doorstep!
GarandFan on September 12, 2009 at 8:47 PM
That has to be a record for individuals coming by their own means who were not artificially organized and transported.
Guardian on September 12, 2009 at 8:48 PM
I agree with Welch. The crowd is HUGE. I can not imagine it be smaller than six-figures. I haven’t seen crowds that huge in DC for a long time.
Dan Riehl reported on his Twitter:
cubachi on September 12, 2009 at 8:48 PM
Martini-boy
has other numbers:
He has a link to Charles Martin.
rbj on September 12, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Sadly, it’s not gonna happen. I’d just passed the CPO exam when I got injured in a helo accident and they retired me as an E-6, Sigh…
I fought them for 6 months, but it was a non-starter with the detailers.
AW1 Tim on September 12, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Couldn’t have been more than a 100 or so.
/Olby
PrincipledPilgrim on September 12, 2009 at 8:49 PM
I agree with Right Wing Nut House–I think the crowd was between 750,000 and a million, or a little more. There’s murmuring that someone heard someone on the DC police scanner say there was 1.5 million, but I think that’s too high.
Enoxo on September 12, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Both Paul Mirengoff from Powerline and Mark Hemingway from NRO who are both in D.C. guessimate the crowd around 350,000. Which is close to Freedomworks estimate of a little under a half million. Pretty impressive numbers.
lowandslow on September 12, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Whatever the final number, the rally today was big enough to not be ignored. Let’s see if this president decides to play dumb, again.
sherry on September 12, 2009 at 8:49 PM
It was a very large crowd…
But one thing I learned having lived in the DC area and having attended a few protests there myself…the numbers of gatherers are always all over the spectrum. Hugely.
But you’re right…non-partisan (if there is such a thing anymore) estimates are always more reliable. But even they run the gamut.
No matter tho…there were more than enough to hopefully wake up congress…and the president.
JetBoy on September 12, 2009 at 8:51 PM
Personal favorite from Huff-N-Puff…
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/2673/slide_2673_37536_large.jpg
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:51 PM
Don’t forget c-span is showing the entire rally Monday night . I believe Oblahblah has a speech scheduled for the same time.
sonnyspats1 on September 12, 2009 at 8:51 PM
It obviously was large enough to scare the crap out of the lefties…I think the boss is correct, she is official enough for me.
d1carter on September 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM
Gibbs on Monday:
Guardian on September 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM
The distance from 14th St. NW and Pennsylvania Ave to the US Capitol Building is about 1 mile. So, that video is showing wall-to-wall people for that mile of road for at least two solid hours. That walk is just about a 20 minute walk @ 3mph. So, if 100,000 people can be seen in that picture, then approximately 6 times that number passed the camera when the road way was completely full of people. So, my guess is about 6-700,000 people. And, I think that’s a conservative guess.
BottomLine5 on September 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM
That or they are teenage prostitutes from Central America being held against their will /sarcoff
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM
Hey the pictures and videos speak for themselves!
sonnyspats1 on September 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM
For every person there, how many more would have liked to come? They said there were 2300 at the rally I attended today in Roswell, GA. How many in Quincy?
PrincipledPilgrim on September 12, 2009 at 8:53 PM
Let me be clear…
spmat on September 12, 2009 at 8:53 PM
You can count on Odumbo.
ICBM on September 12, 2009 at 8:53 PM
Ah, nuts!
Good luck to you, and may you heal better than new!
JeffWeimer on September 12, 2009 at 8:53 PM
A million? Wait, that’s what Joe Wilson has pulled in in 48 hours (Drudge).
Wethal on September 12, 2009 at 8:54 PM
According to CNN, everyone in attendance is a racist.
txag92 on September 12, 2009 at 8:54 PM
Well, I’m sure that the major organizers had check in points. I know that wouldn’t capture all those who trickled in on their own, though. If there were one thing I wish could have been truly “organized” is someway to get every protester a way to log their attendance. Perhaps those flimsy concert “bracelets” that they tape on you to go in and out on an event. Surely the event speakers could have encouraged everyone to go to check points around the mall to get their bracelet and log in a number, later to be calculated. Just a thought…hindsight, and all.
Diane on September 12, 2009 at 8:55 PM
Thanks, Chief! yeah… I was bummed about it for awhile. Spent two months in Bethesda, but at least I can walk and get about, so I got that going for me :)
And hey, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
AW1 Tim on September 12, 2009 at 8:55 PM
I’ve read that the sidewalks alone have a capacity of 300,000. That leads me to conclude that AT LEAST 1 million were there.
aikidoka on September 12, 2009 at 8:56 PM
And Huffingtatas was inflamed that the tea party people called the Madum Speaker “Nazi Pelosi”
Go figure. I guess they must have been selective KKKonservatives
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Sorry to hear that. But thank you for your service.
rbj on September 12, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
petefrt on September 12, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Well then….
… Let us just go to the source;
Seven Percent Solution on September 12, 2009 at 8:57 PM
300k? Would that be those that are on the Vegan Obama-diet or just fat filthy ignorant Americans in general?
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 8:58 PM
Absolute success. A thing of beauty. If the libtard meltdown of our resident trolls and the neurotic cesspool of verbiage on Twitter and across the political blogosphere aren’t proof enough of the 9/12 rally’s triumphant success, don’t know what else is.
RepubChica on September 12, 2009 at 8:58 PM
1 million…………no, 100 billion.
Why does that not seem like all that much anymore?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on September 12, 2009 at 8:58 PM
Can’t wait until next Sept 12, when Palin is at the head of this march! There will no doubt be well over 1 million then and strong momentum going into the mid-terms!
milemarker2020 on September 12, 2009 at 8:58 PM
I was there and it was amazing!
hmfearny on September 12, 2009 at 8:59 PM
Whatever the “actual number” (and, depending on which estimates you use)the truth is, there was a very large number of people there today.
More, in cities around the U.S.
Let’s say, for the sake of this discussion, it was 200,000, in Washington.
What I’d like to know is; how does that compare to marches against the Vietnam war, or the civil rights marches of the 60′s.
Again; a large number of people met, peacefully protesting in support of their beliefs. They were not met by riot police. They were not harassed; nor were their voices supressed (unless you count the un-coverage by the formerly mainstream media.)
Proof positive of the exceptionalism of our system.
massrighty on September 12, 2009 at 8:59 PM
DU commenters said it was “the largest Klan meeting in DC since 1920.”
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on September 12, 2009 at 9:00 PM
two million…. and GLENN BECK
IntheNet on September 12, 2009 at 9:00 PM
These are people with jobs – not professional students or welfare hacks.
Blake on September 12, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Oh, come on now! Didn’t St Teddy of Seagram just get buried in DC?
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Stephen Greene (“Vodkapundit”) quotes a correspondent with experience in aerial photo analysis who thinks the 2,000,000 figure is reasonable, +-20% for “back of the envelope” calculations.
irishspy on September 12, 2009 at 9:01 PM
A trillion here…
… a trillion there, pretty soon we are talking about serious
moneyprotests!Seven Percent Solution on September 12, 2009 at 9:01 PM
I really, REALLY hope Gibbs tries to play dumb about this on Monday, and some reporter (Tapper/Garrett) calls him on it. Insulting the intelligence of anyone who has seen those photos would be a great step in the direction of complete Waterloo for O & the media.
UnderstandingisPower on September 12, 2009 at 9:02 PM
The lefties are bummed tonight for two reasons. One, they know there were absolutely tons of people there (that’s why they tried to say that the half-mast flag photo must have been old). And two, many had to be hoping for violence or ugliness they could use to attack the right. Which, naturally, they didn’t get.
Instead, it was a peaceful, happy, HUGE crowd that didn’t need to be recruited by anyone and clearly enjoyed the hell out of themselves.
It’s a great day for the country.
Missy on September 12, 2009 at 9:02 PM
Up to two million march to US Capitol to protest against Obama’s spending in ‘tea-party’ demonstration
By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE
Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html
IntheNet on September 12, 2009 at 9:02 PM
Regardless of the numbers being promulgated by the left wing propagandists in the media and elsewhere, I can pretty much guarantee behind closed doors the politicians, political operatives, strategists, and media types this protest was targeted at would have seen an accurate count and had a bit of an “OH CRAP” moment upon the realisation of just how big this event really was and who its participants were made up of.
Hellrider on September 12, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Lol…yeah, that one has them going nuts, too. Folks, our grassroots is blowing up in their faces. The Micheal Moore crowd is extremely petulant this weekend.
RepubChica on September 12, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Specifically, where did Michelle get 2,000,000?
Ronnie on September 12, 2009 at 9:04 PM
What is going to be interesting to to see the spin that Gibbs puts on this on Monday. Or will they even mention it?
tballard on September 12, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Ha! Good point. The number is from security professionals via the Washington post regarding the inauguration for The Won. linky
aikidoka on September 12, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Priceless.
tru2tx on September 12, 2009 at 9:04 PM
I love the fuzzy pic of O on Drudge that makes him look so angry he’s falling off the stage. From that camera to God’s ears!
UnderstandingisPower on September 12, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Heck, they didn’t even KNOW ABOUT IT on Friday. Doesn’t that make you feel safe.
/sarc
UnderstandingisPower on September 12, 2009 at 9:05 PM
Just word of mouth stuff from today. It was absolutely incredible…I was so proud to be there. I heard that the police 1.) said it was the most orderly rally ever 2.) that one cop had estimated 1.5m.
I passed the CNN newsies van and they were heard to say “thousands here.” pshhhh.
I saw one protester on the march. He was chanting “Obama.” No SEIU, no ACORN. We did get a cussing out with the f-bomb being dropped in front of my kids, by a lib upset with all of us riding on his Metro.
hoosiermama on September 12, 2009 at 9:05 PM
Hmm… so I think you are right to assume 300k… After all, even though Obama touts his healthy life style, he is the smoking president, and Michelle could work off some of that rump roast. Plus I’m sure that the enthroning had it’s fair share of Michael Moores…
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 9:07 PM
According to her twitter feed, she got it from: http://twitter.com/pinkelephantpun
Enoxo on September 12, 2009 at 9:07 PM
Peaceful and huge, yes, but I’m not sure they were happy!
tballard on September 12, 2009 at 9:07 PM
The real number is not important – it’s the images that show the mass of people that traveled to D.C. to protest Obama and the Democrats that count.
A few things …
1. This was the largest protest since the Vietnam protests. As low as Bush’s approval rating got – the left NEVER organized a single rally that even comes close to this one. That is fact.
2. Doesn’t matter what the rank and file Kossack thinks – or what lies he believes. The Liberal Leadership KNOWS the truth and they know we’re in their six for next year. This is going to cause more problems for Obama to get his party to “heel”.
3. The movement is like two tectonic plates grinding against each other – as the tension rises – sooner or later there’s an earthquake. They got a warning with some small and significant protests around the country on April 15th. It escalated again on July 4th. Next – a massive march on D.C. today – it just gets bigger as the anger rises. If they don’t take note – they won’t be able to ignore the next escalation.
The more people they piss off – the worse this gets.
HondaV65 on September 12, 2009 at 9:07 PM
It’s been my experience that DU has the most idiotic/vile partisan comments of any of the major leftard sites for sure.
Again, either way, the exact numbers aren’t important. What IS important is that average Americans across the board FIGHT this revolting ObamaCare with all our might.
There’s enough Democrats who like their jobs on the Hill.
What’s even more amazing to me, is that this time of year is usually a busy one for families…kids back in school, etc…I know from having worked in restaurants that most are slowest in the beginning of September. It’s a busy time for most people. And the fact that so many could show up and come from so far is a testament to the resolve of Americans to fight this bill.
JetBoy on September 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM
The place was a madhouse… I was camped out at the base of a statue between the pond and the capital steps. The lawn was completely covered, and it was very tight. The streets were full, the crowd was LOUD. I spoke with people afterwards that were near the middle of the mall and they said the sidewalks were jammed. Streets were closed, it was AWESOME! Sadly, another company had permisson to use the mall today, so we were not allowed to get onto the mall lawn, which would have made counting the attendees much, much easier. BUT, reports were that the streets were packed from the capital back to the Washington Monument.
cannonball on September 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM
You should have said, “I may be from Indiana, but embrace the collectivism, man. It’s ‘OUR’ Metro.”
Upstater85 on September 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM
was there any violence or businesses vandalized
tomas on September 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM
He’ll get asked a question and will respond with “yes, the President was aware that a couple of thousand people were in the streets”. Diminishing the number is diminishing our importance. And the rage will carry on……….
sherry on September 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM
http://pajamasmedia.com/vodkapundit/2009/09/12/marching-by-extrapolated-numbers/
elduende on September 12, 2009 at 9:09 PM
250 Muslims will show up on the Mall on the 25th for their “Only Half of Us are Crazy March,” and CBS will have 251 cameras there and report the crowd at 20,000,000.
Akzed on September 12, 2009 at 9:10 PM
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